Tsunami warning in south Pacific

Tsunami warning in south Pacific

A tsunami warning has been issued for Papua New Guinea and island nations in the south-west Pacific after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake off Vanuatu.

The epicentre was 295km (180 miles) north-northwest of Vanuatu’s largest island, Santo, at a depth of 35km (21.7 miles), the US Geological Survey said.

There have so far been no immediate reports of injuries of damage.

More than 170 people died last week when a tsunami triggered by an quake hit Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

Earlier on Wednesday, a 6.7-magnitude quake struck off the Philippines, but no tsunami warning was issued.

Shortly after the earthquake off Vanuatu struck at 2203 GMT, the Pacific Region Headquarters of the US National Weather Service said a tsunami warning was in effect for Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Kiribati, Kosrae, Wallis and Futuna, and the Howland and Baker islands.